historicafandomcom-20200222-history
Frederick North
Frederick North (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792) was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 28 January 1770 to 22 March 1782, succeeding Augustus FitzRoy and preceding Charles Watson-Wentworth; from 11 September 1767 to 27 March 1782, he also served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, succeeding Charles Townshend and preceding John Cavendish. Biography Frederick North was born in Piccadilly, Middlesex, England on 13 April 1732, and he was rumored to be the illegitimate son of Frederick, Prince of Wales due to his very similar appearance to King George III. He was the oldest son of Francis North, an undistinguished member of the aristocracy who occupied his family's hereditary seat in the House of Lords. From 1742 to 1748, North was educated at Eton College, and he graduated from Trinity College in 1750. In 1754, the 22-year-old North was elected to Parliament for the constituency of Banbury, serving from 1754 to 1790. The overweight, nearsighted, loud, and clumsy North's election was certainly due to his father's influence, but his lucid mind, his grasp of public affairs, and his good nature ensured that even his opponents could not dislike him. North was fiercely loyal to the throne and King George III, and he became known as a loyal conservative. He initially aligned himself with the Whigs, but his sympathies were largely with the Tory Party, and he later realigned with the Tories. In 1767, North succeeded Charles Townshend as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and he became leader of the House of Commons a year later. He excelled in debate in the House of Commons, and he was also known as a skilled administrator. When Augustus FitzRoy resigned as Prime Minister in 1770, North formed the new government, with many of its members being former Whigs who had defected to the Tories. North scored notable successes in facing down a Spanish attempt to occupy the Falkland Islands and reforming the administrations of India and Ireland, while he also reduced the national debt by introducing a lottery that contributed to government coffers. He was also a tireless speaker in parliament, making 800 speaches in the House of Commons between 1770 and 1774. However, North was responsible for implementing the Intolerable Acts in Boston, Massachusetts with the goal of coercing the American patriots into standing down, and he oversaw Great Britain's war with the nascent United States during the American Revolutionary War of 1775-1783. North constantly attempted to make peace with America, but his terms were easing financial controls, not granting America its independence. North's support in Parliament declined as he lost his will to govern, especially after the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. After the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, North knew that the war was lost, and he lost a vote of confidence in the House of Commons in 1782, persuading the King to let him go. He became home secretary in a coalition government with the radical Charles Fox, damaging his relationship with the king. In 1784, North retired, and he entered the House of Lords after his father's death in 1790. He made only two speeches before his death from edema in August 1792. Category:1732 births Category:1792 deaths Category:British prime ministers Category:British Category:Prime ministers Category:British politicians Category:Politicians Category:Protestants Category:Whigs Category:Tory Party members Category:British conservatives Category:Conservatives Category:English